Writing and Publishing Your First Fiction Novel

A course by João Tordo , Author

Author. Lisbon, Portugal.
Joined January 2022

Develop an original idea into a compelling manuscript that’s ready to share with publishers by exploring story structure, characters, perspective, and editing

97% positive reviews (32)
1,789 students
Audio: English
English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch

Develop an original idea into a compelling manuscript that’s ready to share with publishers by exploring story structure, characters, perspective, and editing

“I always think of novel-writing as a tightrope. You are walking on the wire, not knowing whether you’ll get to the other side. It takes a tremendous amount of faith. But what an exciting adventure!”
João Tordo is an award-winning author who has published 18 books. His work ranges from literary fiction to thrillers and non-fiction, and he has won awards including the Fernando Namora Prize, and the GQ Prize.

In this online course, he presents his step-by-step guide to writing your novel and getting it published. Discover his process for turning an original idea into a captivating novel and learn to navigate the stormy but rewarding journey of becoming a published author. Find your literary voice and watch it grow and deepen with each page.

Read more ↓

What will you learn in this online course?

15 lessons & 32 downloads

Stages of Storytelling
13 minutes, 45 seconds
The Narrative Arc 1
15 minutes, 4 seconds
The Narrative Arc 2
11 minutes, 47 seconds
Components of the Novel
20 minutes, 59 seconds
Origins of a Story 1
13 minutes, 48 seconds
Origins of a Story 2
10 minutes, 36 seconds
  • 97% positive reviews (32)
  • 1,789 students
  • 15 lessons (3h 34m)
  • 32 additional resources (11 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: English
  • English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Make a start on your first novel and develop a synopsis that you can use to approach editors and publishers.

Who is this online course for?

A cualquier persona que desee escribir su propia novela y saber más sobre el proceso de publicación.

Requirements and materials

This course is for anyone who wants to write their own novel, and find out more about the publishing process.


Reviews

1,789 Students
32 Reviews
97% Positive ratings
  • More reviews

João Tordo

A course by João Tordo

Teacher Plus
Author

João Tordo is an award-winning author based in Lisbon, Portugal. As a child, he was obsessed with books and knew from an early age he wanted to be a storyteller. He went on to study writing in New York and published his first book, The Book of Lightless Men in 2004.

He’s since published 18 books and won multiple awards including the José Saramago Literary Prize, the Fernando Namora Prize, and the GQ Prize. His books are published around the world in countries like France, Hungary, Spain, Brazi, and Mexico. He has also worked on shows for Netflix, including Until Life Do Us Part.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
  • U2

    The Structure

    • Stages of Storytelling
    • The Narrative Arc 1
    • The Narrative Arc 2
    • Components of the Novel
  • U3

    Getting to the Page

    • Origins of a Story 1
    • Origins of a Story 2
    • Building a Character
    • Points of View
  • U4

    The Devil Is in the Detail

    • Dialogue
    • The Craft of a Scene
    • Editing Your Writing
  • U5

    Preparing the Manuscript for an Editor

    • Relationship with Editors
    • Scouting the Market for a Publisher
  • FP

    Final project

    • Writing and Publishing Your First Fiction Novel

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • Learn at your own pace

    Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • Get front-row seats

    Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

  • Share knowledge and ideas

    Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

  • Connect with a global creative community

    The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

  • Watch professionally produced courses

    Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.


FAQs

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Writing and Publishing Your First Fiction Novel. Writing course by João Tordo

Writing and Publishing Your First Fiction Novel

A course by João Tordo
Author. Lisbon, Portugal.
Joined January 2022
  • 97% positive reviews (32)
  • 1,789 students